A Survivor's Tale
by Susie-Draegalia
Summary: Uzumaki Aokawa Rei was seventeen years old when Kiri and Kumo attacked Uzu and, after seeing the destruction of her home, she goes to Konoha to help in the war effort. There she is reunited with Uzumaki Kushina and meets Team Minato. She joins the team as they go into Kusa to destroy Kannabi Bridge and events beyond. Kakashi/OC KakaOC
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

This was a 3:49 am idea. You were warned. Keep in mind, though, I think its turning out pretty good.

I'm going to say it right now. This is a Super!OC so if you can't bear to read it, don't. I myself aren't usually a big fan of Super!anything but the character was better as a prodigy than a... less talented prodigy? I don't know...? Most people in Naruto turn out to be prodigies one way or another in my opinion.

ALSO! This will be a Kakashi/OC story, especially in the later chapters. Bear with me while I update the story till then!

Thanks!

Not owning anything.

* * *

I awoke coughing, gasping for air as my lungs screamed in protest and pain. I sat up quickly- too quickly- and my forehead slammed itself into something cold, jagged, and undeniably hard. Inhaling sharply in pain, my mouth twisted into a grimace and I gingerly lifted a hand to my abused forehead just as a trickle of blood ran into my left eye. My fingertips traced my hairline and I winced, picking out a sliver of whatever I had hit.

It was dark, I realized. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, though that might have been worsened by the blood dripping into my eyes.

Swearing under my breath, I removed my hand from my forehead, pulling my hair off of my neck. I grasped the knot holding my hitai-ate around my neck and pulled it free. I retied the hitai-ate over my forehead, hoping it would staunch the bleeding until I could look at it better. My medical ninjutsu was just bordering decent and that was on a good day. Now, just hours after battle, I knew I wouldn't have enough chakra to heal a bruise.

_The battle._

Fresh memories leapt to the surface of my mind.

Uzushiogakure, the Hidden Whirlpool, was attacked. It was unprovoked and inexplicable. We had stayed out of the war intentionally; we knew full well that we could not survive a full-out war with the five great shinobi nations. Even allied with Konoha, chances of our survival were slim, so we pulled our forces back to Uzu knowing that hardly anyone knew of our exact location.

We hadn't counted on spies within our own people.

Our location was discovered and given out to the world but we still had no choice but to remain.

The village itself was bunkered in the center of a mountain range, nestled in one of the largest valleys. It may have been an odd place for the Village Hidden in Whirlpools, but it was named for the two rivers colliding in the exact center of the village. The currents opposed each other, creating a single whirlpool that emptied out in a waterfall into the grottoes and catacombs snaking under the entire village. The waterfall poured into an underground lake where underground rivers led the water back into the mountains and to the ocean in the east.

The village was made of solid rock building quarried from the nearby mountains. Limestone and marble shone in the sunlight, coloring the village oranges and pinks as the sun set and rose. The village sprawled out in the valley, leaving plenty of room for parks and training fields.

We didn't have many true ninja, but we possessed the best seal masters in the elemental nations. We were a peaceful nation. Our people were healers, seal masters, and artisans. The few ninja that did deal with offensive techniques were highly revered though. It was they who kept us safe. Few clans were worthy of such honor, one of which was the Uzumaki clan, who held us together. We were led by the Uzumaki. It was the Uzumaki who led our forces into battle when we were attacked with the force of not one but two of the great villages.

We had always counted on Kiri to maintain neutrality. They had little to gain from attacking anyone. If they obtained new lands, their forces would be spread thin trying to defend and populate them. They'd lose their shinobi in battles that only won them resources they could buy or trade for. We were wrong.

Kiri made a temporary treaty with Kumo, knowing that we were not going to expect an attack. When they struck, all we could do was send a bird to Konoha so that they wouldn't be caught off guard by our defeat.

I fought in the battle as well, defending against the invaders with everything I had. Uzu was all I had.

I was orphaned when I was very young. My mother died in childbirth and my father was killed when I was two. He had been sent to Konoha with a number of other sealers as a sign of faith but the team he had been assigned to was caught in a border skirmish with Tanigakure. They eventually defeated the ninja but my father was lost. But I was not alone.

When I was four years old, one of the Uzumaki elders saw my potential as both a ninja and a sealer. I was taken in for apprenticeship and became a genin and a level two sealing apprentice in the eyes of the village when I was five. I raced through the sealing curriculum as if I had been born an Uzumaki, and a talented one at that, according to the clan leader. I was so proud to have his approval. By the time I was eleven, I was a high-chuunin and a level seven sealing apprentice. I became a jounin when I was fourteen.

When Kiri and Kumo attacked us, I was finishing the examination that, if I passed, would mark me as a level ten sealing master. I was seventeen years old, the traditional age for apprentices to receive the tattoo that would label them as masters.

I did pass, and my shishou had only just made the ink to give me my tattoo when the ceremony was interrupted by one of the younger apprentices, shouting about an attack. My master and I thought that he was delusional, but we went to see for ourselves anyway.

Uzu was being torn apart, right in front of our eyes.

Our proud stone buildings were torn asunder as if they had been made of sticks and mud. Dead and dying lay in the streets. Civilians were panicking, our ninja were already responding to the threat. Ninjutsu attacks were sealed and our combative forces were quick to return fire.

I leapt into the fray without hesitation, only anger. These people were destroying my home, the only thing I had. Wielding my seals and the ninjutsu I knew, I attacked and defended against the attackers. Even as my comrades and friends fell beside me, I kept attacking, trying to keep the much larger force away.

I was pushed back to the center of the village. Exhaustion pulled at my limbs and pain began to register in my mind as my body recognized my wounds. They were severe, but they slowed me down. My body was littered with shallow scratches to deep gashes, all of which bled profusely. I was covered head to toe in bruises that, with the blood splashed across my pale skin, made a sickening view. My traditional orange kimono was already torn and bloodstained. I had already torn the sleeves away and cut it short to my thighs so I could fight properly. My hair, red with black highlights, had begun to fall out of its ponytail, my bangs brushing occasionally and irritatingly into my red-orange eyes.

My breathing was labored. I wasn't going to last. My options were to cut my losses or die. I was no good to anyone dead.

Glancing behind me into the swirling whirlpool, I let my enemy push me back farther until we were fighting just beside it. I tightened my grip on the tanto I had retrieved from a fallen comrade. I wasn't exceptional with kenjutsu, but I knew enough to stay alive. Even so, I had to escape. There was only one way.

I let the enemy nin approach me. He tried to slash at my throat with a katana. I leapt up onto the railing surrounding the whirlpool.

And without hesitation, I fell backwards into the churning waters.

* * *

I pulled my thoughts away from the battle, squeezing my eyes shut. I exhaled slowly, cataloging my injuries.

_Nothing too bad,_ I decided before crawling away from the low ceiling I had collided into. I knew my way around the Whirlpool Catacombs as well as every other Uzu citizen; I just needed to get my bearings.

My sandals padded soundlessly against the marble-smooth floors as I led myself into the tunnels, heading to where the genin would have been instructed to lead the civilians. When I arrived at the fortified grotto, my jaw clenched. No one had gone to the grotto. Or...

I forced my thoughts away, forcing myself to keep moving. I needed to get somewhere I could treat my injuries. Hopefully I'd be able to find supplies, either in the tunnels or in the village above. I doubted that the village would have been looted much. Kiri and Kumo had had their victory. They would celebrate tonight and return in the morning to divide the spoils of my village.

That was the moment I decided to take everything even remotely useful or valuable. Out of spite alone.

* * *

I found no one in the tunnels aside from the small mice that took shelter in the catacombs during storms. I stopped briefly to check on my injuries but there was little I could do without supplies.

I had a new destination now: the Uzumaki vault. In it were the secrets of Uzu, our most powerful sealing techniques and ninjutsu, and the personal records of all our shinobi and civilians. I had to make sure the records were secure despite the attack. They were normally guarded by two ninja, but I didn't doubt that they abandoned their post after hearing the fighting occurring right over their heads.

Time passed by as I ran through the tunnels, a wary hand on the tanto now secured in the red obi of my ruined kimono. I would have to get new clothes as well, but that would have to wait.

* * *

I stood before the narrow tunnel that led to the Uzumaki vault. There were no guards outside. Clenching my fist, I strode forward into the narrow tunnel. It opened into a large cavern. Across from the entrance were two massive stalagmites that stood guard over the thick metal door between them.

I walked to the door without hesitation, checking the seals that guarded it from trespassers. None of them seemed to be triggered or tampered with. Apparently Kiri and Kumo didn't know about the records. That or they didn't know how to get to them. The tunnels were a working labyrinth of mazes; if you didn't know your way, you could be wandering aimlessly for days without seeing another human.

My hands flew to seals as I gathered the chakra necessary to break the security seals. The black ink faded to smoke gray as the seals lost their power. Finally, there was just one seal left. I looked at it warily. I wasn't sure if I was fully considered an Uzumaki. Adoption into the clan didn't mean that I was recognized by a blood seal. I would have had to have been specifically included in any blood seal. This would be the ultimate test.

I bit my thumb and ran it across the blood seal, hoping it would open, especially since the alternative would be blood poisoning thanks to the seal's design.

The seal flickered red and a sinking feeling settled in my stomach before the red melted into gray. A relieved sigh escaped my lips.

_Arigatou, Uzumaki-shishou._

I grasped the cold metal door handle and, with chakra enhanced strength, pulled it open. It was dark inside, but there were seals for that. Concentrating a small amount of chakra to my fingertips, I pressed my hand to the seals just inside the door and a soft orange glow illuminated the room with its unwavering light.

The room was small and crowded. The records concerning the village itself- shinobi records, trade routes, treaties, and the like- were gathered at the east wall. The remaining walls were occupied with large bookshelves, each filled with different scrolls. A large section was dedicated to ninjutsu and was meticulously organized by element and rank. An equally large section was home to the seals of Uzushiogakure from the most basic to the most challenging, The vault floor was littered by glass cases atop wooden bases. Each was covered with a thin layer of dust, hiding its contents from the soft glow of the illumination seals. Even so, I knew that they contained weapons unique to our fallen ninja.

I wandered aimlessly through the vaults, assuring myself that nothing had been touched or misplaced. When my search was content, I wondered if I should bring any of the records out. They were important to my culture, a culture I might have been the last of. These scrolls needed to be protected. There was only one place that could protect them now. It would take a week of ceaseless travel, but I could make it. I could seek refuge within its walls.

_To Konoha,_ I decided, my eyes searching for the shelf I had seen earlier. Situated amongst the sealing scrolls was a rack of blank scrolls of different sizes as well as brushes and inks of all different colors.

I took the largest scroll I could, unfurling it on the ground. I mixed my blood into a dry black ink well, increasing the potency of the seals I was about to make. I knelt on the marble-smooth floor, ignoring the cold of the rock, and got to work making as many storage seals as I could, separating the sections as the shelves were: ninjutsu, sealing, weapons, and village records.

Once the seals were complete, I forced myself to decided which records would be saved. I took all of the village records and all of the weapons, sealing them neatly into the scroll. The seals were more difficult to decide on and I ended up taking all scrolls above level seven. The ninjutsu were the hardest of all. There were too many to take any specific element or ranking and it would take too much time to sort through them carefully. Biting my lip, I selected smaller scrolls from the shelf, sealing the ninjutsu scrolls into them. I sealed each of the smaller scrolls into the large scroll.

I took a blank piece of paper and quickly wrote what had happened to the records, in case anyone should come in and find that they're missing. I left out exactly where I was going but I wrote that the records would be out of harm where I took them.

I was just turning to leaving when I saw a shadow behind one of the now empty shelves. Curious, I went to investigate. I moved the shelf aside and my eyes widened with surprise at the hidden door.

I was not one to leave a stone unturned.

I secured the large sealing scroll to my back, making sure that it would not move or slide away from me, and pushed the door open.

I found myself in a dark room. There were no illumination seals, only the light from the main records. The light fell onto a single glass case. After a quick scan, I decided that the case was the only thing in the room.

I walked forward, my eyes darting across the room and a hand on my tanto. I soon was standing before the glass case. Seeing the blood seal, I deactivated it swiftly. Once the security seals were inactive, I lifted the dusty glass off of the wooden base.

Nestled in a bed of velvet was a single scroll. Unlike the plain green or red scrolls I was familiar with; this scroll was a gleaming gold and edged with bright orange flames. It bore a wax seal that was marked with the distinctive Uzumaki spiral. Ignoring my trembling fingers, I reached out to it. When I closed my hand around it, it was warm, almost hot, despite the cold that was the result of the waterfall.

I glanced around the room once more before sliding my finger under the edge of the scroll. The wax seal broke and a burst of warm air escaped from the scroll. I began to unroll the scroll. My hand froze at the title. There, written on the top of the scroll in ornate handwriting, were the words "Uzumaki Hijutsu." (A/N: I know that it should probably be 'Uzumaki Hiden' but I like the sound of 'Uzumaki Hijutsu' more.)

_It'll have to wait,_ I said to myself, knowing that I wasn't in a safe enough location to delve into clan secrets. There may still be security seals at the entrances to the catacombs, but any remotely capable seal user could deactivate them. They were designed to be accessible by level two and three sealers, the levels most common for genin who would be charged with protecting the civilians in the case of an attack.

I placed the small scroll into my obi, not trusting it in the large scroll.

Satisfied that everything was secured, I abandoned the records, reactivating the security seals on my way out. Just in case.

* * *

_Why here?_

I wandered through the ruins of my village, swallowing past the lump in my throat. As a ninja, one is trained to maim and kill. As a child, you only think that involves enemy nin that threaten your home. There are no lessons about how to deal with an actual attack taking place among homes and businesses. Walking through the streets I played in as a child, seeing the mutilated remains of ninja and civilians alike, my fist clenched.

_This shouldn't have happened._

_This didn't need to happen._

_We never did anything to deserve this._

I slipped into the rubble of what used to be the home I shared with two fellow apprentices, Uzumaki Riva and Matena Riku. Riva was a quiet girl and, like the rest of her family, gifted with seal-making. Her immediate family's chakra was particularly strong for seals. Her older sister had been sent to Konoha when she was young to become the Kyuubi's second jinchurriki when Mito-sama eventually died. Riku was much more outspoken than Riva and my best friend. She treated me like Aokawa Rei, not Uzumaki Rei. I was just a normal person to her, and therefore undeserving of any special treatment. I had to earn her respect, just as she had to earn mine. The three of us had been a genin team. We became chuunin together in our second try. Riku and I became jounin together after a mission to Tani went terribly wrong. They had fought together from what I could tell. They were surrounded by a dozen fallen enemy nin. They were motionless and bloodied.

I forced my way through the ruined building to what used to be my room. It had been perfect. Just the right size, with windows to let in the setting sun's light. Basic furniture dotted the room- a wardrobe, a writing desk, a bed. But it was all gone now.

I tracked down what used to be my closet and somehow extricated black bike shorts and a red and black dress, already cut short for full movement. I changed hurriedly before scrounging around for supplies. Finding my emergency supplies, I secured the kunai and shuriken holsters to my thigh. I stopped by Riku's room, getting a sheath for the tanto that I had been using. Riku was always the kenjutsu expert of the three of us.

Content that I was ready to leave, I found myself at the village gates, looking out at the remains of my home.

"I will return," I promised before turning and running into the dense forests.

* * *

A/N:

It's a little convoluted, I'll admit it, but it does get better. I couldn't settle on a good format to write this chapter in because I needed to have enough history to build the later chapters on but I didn't want to _totally_ kill the battle. There will be a mini-battle next chapter, so look forward to that!

Also, vote time! I need to decide on a summon for her! The choices are: ocelot, red panda, tiger, and musk rat. Leave a review and tell me what you think!

^.^ Susie ^.^

PS: The next chapter _will_ be up tomorrow so you can get a better sense of the story and then judge it. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:

I just realized something that I probably should have realized a while ago. 'Uzu' definitely wouldn't be the correct abbreviation for Uzushiogakure. I guess that Uzu is more commonly used, but I am 70% certain that it isn't right. So it'll be referenced to as 'Uzushio' from now on. Just be aware of that.

Ugh. Imagine how Hiruzen would have felt if Naruto had recommended the usage of shadow clones for paperwork. That is the emotion I'm feeling right now -.-'

Anyways, sorry for the long delay in writing. I have a very very busy life all of a sudden. Literally, I have Wednesdays and Sundays in which I'm not doing any extracurricular activities or the like. *sigh* I have a football game on Friday and a band competition all-day Saturday. Excuse me while I cry myself to sleep *sobs*

But, without further ado, THE NEXT CHAPTER! ... Of which I own almost nothing. Basic plot and Rei are mine. And my other OC's, but you don't really meet any of them yet, so... cool stuff...

* * *

There was a bright light in my eyes. I could see, or more accurately sense, people moving over me.

_Why are they over me?_ I wondered to myself.

I tried to move my fingertips, tried to open my eyes, something, to show that I was awake. Apparently it worked because someone next to me gasped.

"She's still awake!" a feminine voice said, her voice layered with shock. My eyebrows tried to furrow in confusion- _Why would I be asleep?_ - but I was forced to stop by an overwhelming wave of pain.

"Then give her an anesthetic!" a male voice said, his voice urgent and strangely annoyed.

I tried to move my jaw but the pain obliterated all sense of self. I was lost in my body, unable to remember how to move. I was trapped, lying motionless as someone jabbed a needle into my arm.

I tried to fight the drug but it was too strong.

A part of me wondered why I couldn't fight it. It was part of my training as an assassination/stealth specialist to become immune to common poisons and anesthetics. Only a few sedatives were left off of that list so that, in the unlikely case that I needed surgery or something similar, there was a drug that _could_ knock me out. But even so, that list was a well-guarded secret. Even I only knew of two that would function properly.

The rest of me screamed- roared- in protest. But even I couldn't fight it. The darkness surged around me, swallowing me. If my eyes had been open, they would have fluttered shut.

I could feel the drug working. I grew heavy with numbness. My breathing slowed without my consent.

And I fell into the darkness.

* * *

I don't know how long I was unconscious. I only know that the darkness soon gave way to memories.

~Flashback~

My breathing was labored as I ran, pushing my muscles forward. I needed two things: to escape and to rest. Unfortunately, I could only accomplish one of the two. I had another six days of running to get to Konoha and that was if I was lucky.

I was never lucky.

Two days after I had left Uzushio, someone began to track me. I don't know how they found me and I couldn't care. Luckily my wounds were healed and I had the majority of my chakra back, but I knew that I wasn't ready for an extended fight.

I heard a rustle in the trees and reflexively ducked down, rolling to the side. A kunai sailed over me, burying itself into the truck of a tree ahead of me. The large scroll on my back was pressed to my back as I back into a tree, tanto in hand.

"Heheheh..." A jeering laugh echoed throughout the trees. I tensed, my jaw clenched. "Uzushiogakure...It seems a mouse got away, huh? It's too bad... She's a very pretty mouse."

"Bite me," I growled. That menacing laugh slithered through the trees once more. There was a brief flicker of movement and my eyes traced it to a nearby tree. There, standing tall was a male Kumo nin.

"Kuro," a female voice said sharply. "We don't have time to play around. Kill her and move on."

Kuro scoffed into the trees, where a kunoichi with snow-white hair and black eyes was waiting. Her lips, I noticed, were tinted blue as if she were hypothermic.

"Sure thing, taicho," he said, mock-saluting before drawing a wakizashi. He grinned as his eyes turned to me. "This will only take a minute."

I glared at the man. He was about 5'10" with dark brown hair. He was fairly average- forgettable. The only interesting thing about him was his eyes. One was a vibrant green, the other slate-gray.

"You don't want to do this," I warned. My free hand inched to my kunai holster and I was glad that Riva insisted on me organizing my supplies. It made it easy to tell which kunai bore different seals. My hand tightened on a trio of kunai.

"Oh, but I do, Mouse-chan," the man insisted oily. A grin came to his lips and he shunshined towards me. My eyes followed him as best I could and I threw the three kunai, jumping away. He landed where I had just been and he looked curiously at the unmarked kunai at his feet. "Missed me."

"Did I?" I shot back. A hissing filled the air and he looked up, his eyes widened as he saw the two explosive kunai dug into the branch above him. Before he could react, I sent a pair of shuriken around both him and the tree, ensnaring him in ninja wire and holding him to the tree. The explosive tags blew up in a large explosion and my eyes searched the smoke for a body.

_Always confirm a kill,_ I reminded myself, still searching for 'Kuro.' I cursed to myself when I saw the ruined remains of a log. _Kawarimi._ I heard a relieved sigh close to me and I launched my tanto towards the sound.

A pair of birds flew off of a tree limb as my tanto buried itself in a tree. Kuro stood just beside it. A trickle of blood running down his jaw alerted me that I had just grazed his ear.

"You should have aimed to kill. You won't get another chance," he snarled, already moving towards me.

_I don't have time for this!_

My hands flew to hand seals and I slammed my palm to the earth.

"Water Release: Rice Paddy no jutsu!" I shouted out. The moisture in the earth welled up until there was a layer of water over the forest floor in front of me about twenty feet long, six feet wide, and two inches deep. I went right into the next sequence of hand seals. "Water Release: Piercing Rain no jutsu!"

The water rose up in drops and streams before floating over the paddy, shading all of us under it. Then it began to fall in senbon-like needles of rain that bulleted the trees mercilessly. I raised my left hand above my head, activating one of the many seals I had tattooed onto my skin over the years.

"Water Sealing Method!"

A black tattoo of a whirlpool drawn in tiny runes shuddered before exuding a chakra-infused mist. The mist gathered just beyond my palm, catching the needle-sharp raindrops and absorbing them harmlessly into the seal. When the water technique faded away and the fuinjutsu deactivated, nearly the entire tattoo was dyed sky blue showing how little room was left in the seal.

Without waiting for my attackers to recover, I shunshined to Kuro's side and snapped his neck with a quick movement. Before his teammate could react, I leapt away, disguising myself into the forest, hiding my chakra signature, and running as fast as I could.

~End Flashback~

I was met by almost a dozen teams on my way to Konoha. I had made a mistake in not killing Kuro's teammate. According to one of the teams I had met, she had sent out an alert to the Raikage who demanded that I be captured and killed.

_Fun._

I was attacked all the way to the border.

I arrived, after a grueling eleven days, at the village gates. I say arrived. The ANBU guards who came to my assistance two miles away from the village, killed the seven Kumo nin on my tail, and brought me to Konoha for medical attention said 'was brought, as in, was an inch within losing her life.' I doubted that.

* * *

The first thing I was truly aware of was a bright white light directly above me.

The next thing I was aware of was a weight on my abdomen and a hand holding mine. I almost smiled at the bright red mop of hair on my stomach. Then my heart leapt to my throat and tears swam in my eyes.

_Riva's dead_, I reminded myself firmly.

_Then who...- No._ I paled. _Kushina-nee._

The elder sister, Uzumaki Kushina, was older than Riva, who had been almost exactly my age, just a day younger than me. Kushina, as opposed to my seventeen years of age, was twenty-five.

I must have reacted because the kunoichi sleeping on my stomach shifted, moaning in her sleep. I squeezed the hand in mine and she shifted again. I sighed to myself.

"Kushina-nee," I murmured softly. I raised my voice louder. "Kushina-nee... Oi! Kushina!" I shouted. She jumped up and her chair almost fell backwards. I moved to catch her chair but stopped halfway as pain bloomed across my chest.

_I probably broke some ribs,_ I decided as my breath hitched painfully. My hand went to my ribs gingerly and I pressed down, hissing in pain at the slight pressure. _No. Just cracked, I think..._

Kushina blinked, still waking up, before a radiant smile blossomed on her face. She threw her arms around me, pulling me close to her without a care for my condition.

"Rei-chan!" she cried out, relief her greatest emotion at the moment. She pushed my shoulders back, ignoring my wince when I was roughly pushed against the pillows. "You shouldn't move so much. You've been in a coma for nearly a week."

"That's not important," I argued. Kushina frowned.

"What happened? Why are you so far away from Uzushio?"

My brow furrowed.

"Didn't Konoha get Leader-sama's message?" (A/N: I didn't want to come up with a name for the leader. Too lazy.) Kushina's confused gaze said it all. Konoha had no idea what had happened.

My eyes saddened.

"Kushina-nee... Uzushiogakure... It's gone."

Kushina's relieved smile, left over from when I had woken her up, froze. Her head tilted to the side slightly as her smile changed, looking condescending and forced.

"What do you mean, 'gone?' An entire village can't just disappear," she said, a nervous chuckle emanating from her chest as one of her hand ruffled my bangs. I closed my eyes briefly before snapping them open.

"My stuff. Where is it? I had a- large sealing scroll, a tanto. Where is it?"

Kushina's eyes clouded with confusion and she gestured behind her. I looked back to see my clothes neatly folded beside the large scroll and my tanto. I threw the blankets off of my leg worriedly, sighing in relief when I saw the storage seal still on my calf. Relief jolted through my system. _The hijutsu are safe. It's all safe._

"What is it?" Kushina asked. I shook my head.

"I need to talk the Hokage. Immediately. You need to be there too," I said firmly. I stood, ignoring my shaking legs as Kushina protested that I wasn't well enough to be up and moving. I whirled around to face her. My indignation evaporated when I saw her concerned face, so similar to Riva's. I shook my head and continued towards my clothes.

"Rei-chan, you aren't-" she began worriedly. I glanced back at her and she fell silent at the look in my eyes. I wondered what I looked like; what emotion was held in my eyes? Grief? Anger? Perhaps a mix between the two. My hair was a mess; that much I knew. My hitai-ate was still tied haphazardly around my neck. I was covered with bandages and my left leg had a splint on it.

"Look at me and tell me that I can't tell the Hokage about Uzushio. About how we were _attacked_. That I didn't receive my mark as a seal master because I was too busy fighting for my life and the village. That we were outnumbered and outmatched. That _no one _made it to the stronghold in the catacombs."

There were tears in my eyes.

"That there might only be two survivors... You... and me." My voice cracked and I looked away as Kushina's eye filled with understanding shortly followed by tears.

I forced my body to obey and I got dressed. I attached the scroll to my back once more and sheathed my tanto. I turned back to Kushina, realizing that I didn't know how to get to the Hokage's office. I had only been to Konoha a few times even though we were allies. My skills were needed much more on the battlefield than in an office.

"Kushina-nee..." My voice, already soft, drifted off. She nodded, rubbing viciously at her red eyes.

"We'll have to jump out of the window," she said, her voice unsteady. "The nurses here are used to ninja patients... They'll never let you be discharged like that."

I nodded and moved towards the window, ignoring my protesting ribs as I looked out the window. _Third story. Not too bad. And there's even a tree! That's convenient..._

Without hesitation, I threw myself out of the window.

* * *

A/N:

*sobbing some more*

There is some serious backstory with Rei that will eventually be filled in, but you should know right now that her past is sooooo dramatic. Well, at least in _my_ humble opinion. Quality stuff :)

Just a snippet of information for you:

-In my representation of Uzushio, genin/apprentices are taught almost exclusively by a single master. Masters only have one student at a time and its a major decision since an apprenticeship can last from six to ten years. Now, the three genin or low-level sealing apprentices are placed together on a team under a jounin advisor. This is the active leader for any and all team missions. He/she does not actually teach the genin anything unless given express permission by that genin's shishou or by order of the village leader. All they do is watch from the sidelines as the genin carry out the missions and step in ONLY when they believe the life/lives of one or more of the genin are threatened. Most genin do not get sent on missions very early because of the attitude towards self-reliance and reliance on one's teammates alone.

-The teams will often stay grouped together even after they've been promoted though they will be led by a different jounin or chuunin leader. Oftentimes one of the original members will be team captain and assigned a fourth teammate when the mission calls for it.

-All teams have at least two members or are or were taught in fuinjutsu and one who is taught intermediate medical ninjutsu at a minimum. Most have a kenjutsu user but it wasn't as heavily stressed. All teams had at least one heavy-hitting ninjutsu user. These skills could be distributed between the genin at the discretion of their individual masters.

Ooh, and another thing!

-Rei had a particularly good education in fuinjutsu. Unlike the normal six to ten year apprenticeship, she was under her shishou, Uzumaki Yuriko, for thirteen years. Also, her shishou _was_ an Uzumaki, which meant she had more regular access to the Uzumaki Records, the more advanced seals, and more exposure to other high-ranking sealers. That way, she is, in a way, a 'truer' master than her peers were at the time of their demise.

That's it! It'll be useful information later, I promise!

Oh, and don't forget to REVIEW PLEASE!

Byes for now!

^.^ Susie ^.^


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:

*sigh*

Read my profile. I'm too tired for a real a/n...

BUT NARUTO ISN'T MINE, NO MATTER HOW TIRED I GET!

* * *

Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered his head, sighing sadly as I finished my report, my fist clenched and my voice hollow. Kushina and a blond man I recognized as Namikaze Minato, Konoha's Yellow Flash, stood behind me, listening to my summation of the battle and the days after. Kushina, hearing about the death of her younger and only sister and the rest of the village, was shamelessly crying into Minato's arms. The man tried to comfort her and I was glad to see that he looked angry at the turn of events. As I studied him, his eyes lost their anger, moving on to a weariness that was quickly absorbed by a determination I hadn't known he had possessed.

"I didn't think they would go that far," Hiruzen said softly. "I'm sorry, Uzumaki-san. I had recommended sending Konoha nin to defend Uzushio, but your leader would not hear it. I should have been more insistent."

"Aokawa," I corrected automatically. "I am not a true Uzumaki, Hokage-sama. I was adopted."

"Shut up," Kushina said. Her voice was surprisingly firm as she lifted her head from Minato's chest. Her eyes, still burdened with so much sadness, were already red and puffy. Even so, her gaze was unwavering as she looked at me, crossing her arms over her chest in an attempt at bravado. "You're an Uzumaki as much as I am, Rei-chan.

"Arigatou, neechan," I said softly. I had been raised by the Uzumaki. They were my family.

_But now they're gone._

_No!_ I argued with myself. _There's still Kushina-nee. And there's still _me.

"There aren't that many of us anymore... We're an endangered clan," she noted, smiling sadly. I had to smile sadly at her description of our clan, nodding again.

"But Kiri and Kumo won't gain anything from it. I went through Uzushio and found and took everything worth taking. Even the Uzumaki records," I said, one hand drifting to the large scroll on my back. Kushina's smile turned wry and I continued speaking. "I have Uzushio's summonings, personnel records, legendary levels, fuinjutsu, and every ninjutsu I could find. The most either Kiri or Kumo will get are basic skills techniques or things they already knew."

"You have the summonings? All of them?" Kushina questioned, her eyes clearing. I nodded slowly.

"I think so... How many did we have?"

"Three," she responded automatically. I took a mental inventory before frowning. "What is it?"

"I have four," I explained. "Muskrat, ocelot, tiger, and red panda."

"We haven't had- Are you sure? The ocelot contract was lost more than fifteen years ago," Kushina said, confused. I shrugged.

"Well, I had it. It was in..." My voice drifted off as I tried to remember. _Muskrat and red panda were in the Uzumaki vault. Tiger was in Leader-sama's office. The ocelot was... Where was it? _"I don't remember... But I definitely have it."

I took the large scroll off of my back, unrolling it slowly until I came upon the right seal. A puff of smoke parted to reveal the moss green and brown summoning contract.

"Ocelot," I said, pointing to the detailed feline creature drawn along the edge of the scroll. Kushina's brow furrowed and I turned to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, I came to Konoha so that Kiri and Kumo wouldn't benefit from our loss. But I don't want to lose my career as a ninja. Being a kunoichi is the only life I've ever known... I'd like to be registered as a ninja of Konoha, if I could."

Hiruzen looked at me with something I recognized as curiosity.

"You still want to be a ninja?" he asked. I nodded once. "If things were more normal, you would be given an exam to test your proficiency but I don't think we can spare the manpower. I'll send you on missions as a probationary jounin."

"What about my team's upcoming mission? We could probably use an extra set of hands," Minato volunteered. The Hokage looked at him, mulling over the idea before nodding once.

"Minato, explain to her the mission details. Leave as soon as she is recovered. We don't need any accidents," Hiruzen said, his eyes closing wearily. "You three are dismissed."

"Hai."

Minato held his arm out to Kushina-nee and I. I looked at him warily while Kushina held on tight.

"Hiraishin," he explained with a boyish grin. I continued to watch him cautiously but I held onto his arm.

My vision flickered with a swirl of yellow and red with the faintest tint of black and I blinked. When my vision cleared, I was standing in a living room. I could see tall buildings outside and decided I was inside an apartment.

"So," Minato began. "You are a sealer?" I nodded and he grinned. "Me too."

I glanced around the apartment and my eyes were drawn to the small seal in between Minato and I on the floor. I realized what it was and I chuckled.

"I can tell," I said, gesturing to it. "What level are you?"

"Um... Seven, I think. You?"

Well. I'll admit it. I laughed. And not just a quiet laugh that I could have turned into a cough or something similar. No. I _laughed_. At the Yellow Flash.

When I had finally recovered, he looked understandably miffed.

"Something funny?" he asked somewhat tersely. I grinned at the older man, shrugging. Minato, like Kushina, was around twenty-five years old. Kushina only sighed for me.

"Ignore her. If she hasn't changed, she's still a freaking prodigy," Kushina muttered. Minato heard her and a smile grew on his lips.

"Prodigy?" he asked me, raising an eyebrow at me. I shrugged.

"Prodigy," Kushina repeated louder. "She's been trained since she was able to walk. Riva-" Kushina stumbled for a moment before continuing. "Riva-imouto would always send letters about how annoyed the other kids were that Rei-chan kept upstaging all of the other apprentices. Genin at five, chuunin at seven, and jounin at fourteen. She's seventeen now, meaning she's a seal master in the eyes of the Uzumaki."

"Heheh." I chuckled self-consciously, playing with my hair idly. "Enough about me. What's this mission we're going on?"

"Not yet; you're still wounded," Minato said, shaking his head. I scoffed lightly.

"I might only be an Uzumaki by name, but I _was_ born with their chakra reserves and... durability?" I struggled to find a word that fit my meaning. "I'll be back to full-strength in two days. Three if I actually broke ribs, but I'm pretty sure they're just cracked."

Both Minato and Kushina looked at me oddly.

"What?"

"You're walking around with a cracked rib?" Minato asked, his voice serious. I nodded slowly, shrugging.

"I've had worse," I said honestly. I had gotten worse injuries from taijutsu training. Yuriko-shishou's methods were rough but they definitely paid off. "Now what's the mission?"

Minato studied me carefully for a moment before answering.

"We're being sent out to Kusa. Iwa's using a bridge there on a major supply route so it's our job to destroy it."

"Stealth and sabotage. My kind of mission. What's the chance of enemy retaliation?" I asked automatically. Uzushio may not have been publicly active in the war but played the game as well. I had been sent out with and led dozens upon dozens specialized teams to help the effort from behind the scenes. No hitai-ates, no names, and no affiliation. I was one of the best at assassination and espionage. A mission to mess with a supply line was a familiar task. Those missions made the bulk of my ninja career, as the war had enveloped most of my life.

"Not too high. There will be a larger attack force drawing attention away from us," Minato explained.

"So we slip in while the attack force launches a frontal assault, sneak around to the bridge, blow it up, and slip back out?" I summarized, thinking. It sounded simple enough. I've done similar missions alone. "Who's the team?"

"Chuunin Uchiha Obito, Yuuai Rin (A/N: While I'm usually a fan of Rin being an Inuzuka, it's not likely at all, seeing as she doesn't seem to have the enhanced senses or a ninken partner. That leads me to think that she was civilian-born so I just made up a last name for her. 'Yuuai' means 'friendship'), and jounin Hatake Kakashi. And me," he added as a lost thought. He smiled after a moment. "My genin team."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Hatake? As in Hatake Sakumo?" It was a well-known name, even if the man was dead and gone. Minato nodded almost absently.

"His son," the Namikaze confirmed.

"So... If they're your genin team, they're younger than me, aren't they?" I asked quietly. I had heard rumors of the great nations sending kids into battle but Uzushio had pulled everyone out before I could see for myself. A dark light entered Minato's bright blue eyes before he smiled again.

"A few years younger," he shrugged. "Thirteen."

A thought entered my mind and a pout grew from my lips. Minato's brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Hatake beat my record. He made jounin a year before me," I complained lightly. I heard Kushina laugh in the distance and I realized that she left the living room. I looked around with my eyes before she walked out of one of the adjoining rooms.

"We need to go grocery shopping," she told Minato lightly. "It is lunchtime and we have nothing in the house except ramen." Before Minato could talk, she silenced him by raising her hand. "And just because ramen is the greatest food in the world, doesn't mean everyone likes it."

She threw a pointed glare at me and I shrunk back, smiling apologetically.

"I never said I didn't like it. I just don't like having a dozen bowls for lunch everyday," I protested. Kushina pouted slightly.

"But it's soooooo good! Especially salt ramen!" she announced. I glanced at Minato only to see him glance tiredly back at me. _'Tell me about it,'_ his eyes seemed to say. I tried to hide my smile as Kushina only continued to praise ramen.

"Alright," I finally gave in. "We can have ramen for lunch."

Kushina began to celebrate, punching the air. I sent her a withering glance. Minato rolled his eyes but never stopped smiling. We left the apartment behind and started walking the crowded streets of Konoha, letting me get my bearings, if only a little.

* * *

"So... I have to find a place to stay," I realized. Kushina laughed.

"Don't be silly. You can stay with us," she said firmly. She looked to Minato, pointing a finger at him menacingly. "_Can't_ she?"

"Uh..." Minato's eyes widened slightly as he searched for an answer. "Yes?"

Kushina immediately underwent a transformation that changed her from threatening if not terrifying to almost naively happy.

"See? Ooh, Ichiraku! They have the best ramen in town!" Kushina grabbed my wrist, once again ignoring my wince of pain, and began dragging me to a food stand. She ducked under the cloth hanging from the roof and I found myself in a little bar-like restaurant. Kushina shoved me into a chair as Minato joined us.

"Kushina-chan, Minato-san," a middle-aged man greeted. He looked at me with a soft curiosity in his eyes. "Who is your friend?"

"Uzumaki Rei, Takumi Teuchi," Kushina introduced. I rolled my eyes, extending my hand to the man.

"It's nice to meet you," I greeted as he shook my hand.

"Uzumaki? A relative?" he asked warmly, glancing back at Kushina. Kushina nodded.

"Sister," she explained readily. I glanced at her questioningly and she smiled broadly, blatantly ignoring me.

"Ah. So, what'll it be?" Teuchi asked.

"Salt ramen!" Kushina exclaimed.

"Beef ramen," Minato said in a slightly calmer tone. I glanced at the menu briefly.

"I'll have beef ramen, too," I decided.

"Eh? No fair," Kushina pouted. "You're supposed to like _me_ more, Rei-chan. And here you are, siding with Minato-kun."

"It's just ramen," I said, shaking my head. "Maybe I'll get salt ramen another time."

Appeased for now, Kushina began eating her ramen at a ferocious pace when it arrived. Between talking and eating, we spent a few hours at Ichiraku's and wandering the village. I tried to get used to the layout, but it didn't seem to have a rhyme or reason to it. In Uzushio everything was organized into loose rings. Buildings closest to the whirlpool were generally office buildings or homes of the wealthy. The next ring was made up of shopping districts and restaurants. The final ring was the middle class homes, training fields, and parks. Everything was easy to get to. Konoha, on the other hand, was a sprawling mess. Shopping districts were placed haphazardly across the village. The Hokage Tower was at the far end and was home to Konoha's Ninja Academy as well. Housing was everywhere, but most people lived in apartments due to the lack of spare room. Everything was busy.

We eventually found ourselves back at Minato and Kushina's apartment. I got them to finally admit in no uncertain terms that they were dating and the necessary teasing and laughing came and went without consequence. I was happy for them. In just the day I had known Minato, he already seemed to care for my 'adopted sister' a lot.

They were happy.

* * *

A/N:

Sleep is exhausting. I've been without power for the last four days (Thankfully, it came back today) so I've been going to sleep at seven or eight every day because I had nothing better to do and not waking up until ten or eleven in the morning. I'm SOOOOO tired now... I have to wake up at six again TT_TT

*all my feels*

-.-' Susie ^.^


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